Grieving Hope
by Alei-Frozen-Ruby
Summary: The tokyo mew mew lost one important battle to the aliens. In that battle they fell, but destroyed Deep Blue and the dome. Lettuce is the only one left to mourn them. Left to feel the grief.
1. Grieving Hope

A girl stood in a calm glade, hidden from the sky by large trees and hidden from man by bushes and a black iron gate. Opposite her were six large gravestones. The name on the first read, '_Ichigo Momomiya_'. Ichigo had been her first real friend. She had helped defend her and had given the girl new hope. She'd died the first time from the shock of Masaya being Deep Blue and the blazing heat. Lettuce had planted ichigo strawberries on Ichigo's grave. The plant had thrived since she'd first put it in.

The next read, '_Mint Aizawa_'. Mint had been truer that steel. Her loyal friend to the end. In the Tokyo attack, she had been the first to die and stay dead. Suffocated by Deep Blue.

The third read, '_Pudding Fong_'. The hyper little monkey girl. She'd been the easiest to make friends with. She had easily been the most energetic of the group. And that was how she died. Energetic and hyper, ricocheting off the dome walls, dodging Deep Blue's attacks.

The next stone read, '_Zakuro Fujiwara_'. She had been the most silent, but most practical and famous of the group. A model and a superhero. Not that the world would ever know who the Tokyo Mew Mew had been. She'd been alive only long enough to use the mew aqua to bring Ichigo back. That had drained her power and her life force, leaving her dead.

The fifth stone had, '_Ryou Shirogane_' engraved on it. Ryou had been killed by an attack went wrong. He had been the first one to Ichigo's side once he knew she was back. Before he could do anything about it, Deep Blue had sent an attack at Ichigo, who was still weak. Ryou had taken the blow for her, knowing that she was the last hope for earth.

The last one read, '_Keichiero Akasaka_'. He'd run up to Ryou when the younger boy had been hit. Thus the second attack Deep Blue let loose was taken by Keichiero although meant for Ichigo.

She herself had been hypnotized by Deep Blue and had attacked Ichigo. Ichigo didn't die from the blow, but she put Lettuce unconscious. Deep Blue then ran Ichigo through with his sword. The blow had given Masaya enough power to come back. He'd possessed Deep Blue's body and run the sword through his stomach, releasing the mew aqua. The mew aqua exploded as soon as it was out of Deep Blue and rid Tokyo of the dome above it and at the same time set up a barrier around earth, preventing aliens from entering or leaving. It also threw Pai, Tart, and Kish away from the sight of the battle. They hadn't been seen since.

Lettuce stood now, seven years later, dressed in a long black coat, black boots, a pair of jeans, and a forest green shirt. She'd let her hair loose, never wanting to wear it up again. It had grown long and dark, the deep green locks cascading down three inches past her knees. She wore no glasses: she could see perfectly since the mew aqua explosion. A small chilly breeze wafted by. She was now twenty. She'd graduated from high school and was in her third year of college. Tears silently slid down her cheeks. All her friends were gone. She felt so alone in the world. In her heart there was emptiness where the love for her friends had been. Their presence was gone and Lettuce wanted them back so much. She wiped the tears away from her cheeks, but they kept spilling out of her eyes. She felt so pitiful. Ever since the incident, she'd become closed and unable to make friends. And now, in her misery, she felt that loneliness very acutely. Lettuce looked down at the graves. She should be there with them. In the peace of death. More tears stained her face and she wiped them away again and sniffled.

She pulled a dagger from her coat. _Let me rest in peace with my friends. Please, let me finally have a peaceful existence,_' she thought as she positioned it where her heart was. As she prepared to drive it in, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Do not kill yourself because you believe you are alone in the world," A deep voice said. "Why shouldn't I? I am alone in the world, and I'm miserable," Lettuce replied. "You shouldn't because I don't want you to," The voice replied. "And why don't you?" Lettuce asked; her grip on the knife loosening. "Because I've finally found you and I don't want to lose you," The voice mysteriously said. Lettuce pulled the knife away from herself. "Who- who are you?" the porpoise girl asked. "I am someone you know very well," The voice replied. Lettuce turned around to face him and gasped.

"Pai . . " She whispered. The alien's hair had darkened and he'd cut his hair to match the human style. His ears had shrunk and now looked like pixie ears. His eyes were a deep brown gold. "Where are Kish and Tart?" Lettuce asked. Pai looked down. "We were all separated in the mew aqua explosion. I haven't seen them since," Pai replied. "I'm sorry," Lettuce said. By seeing Pai she felt an even greater longing for her friends, for what once had been. Tears welled up in her eyes. "What is it, Lettuce?" Pai asked, looking into her glassy green eyes. Lettuce turned away. "I miss them Pai. I miss them so much. And now that you're back, I miss them even more," Lettuce explained through muffled sobs and hiccups. Pai put his arms around her. "Lettuce, it's all right, I'm here now," He whispered to her in a soothing voice.

Lettuce broke away. "No. It's not all right. All my friends are dead and I betrayed them!" Lettuce shouted. "No you didn't. Deep Blue hypnotized you, there was nothing you could've done," Pai said, taking a step toward her. Lettuce glared at him. "I should be dead with them. A death like that could've been honorable, worthy. I'm glad they died that way, but I miss them. My place is by their side, being their friend and teammate," Lettuce said through tears and hiccups. Pai grabbed her wrist firmly. "No, your place is not in death. Your place is here, on earth. You are the last of the Tokyo Mew Mew. You do them an honor by living. You give them peace by being happy. They wouldn't want you to kill yourself just because you believe you should've died. You survived for a reason, Lettuce," Pai told her. Lettuce tried to brake away, but held firm her wrist and drew her closer. Lettuce bent her head and cried out loud, not bothering to suppress her sobs. Pai hugged her close, but a flash of steel caught his eye.

Pai slowly removed the dagger from Lettuce's pale hand. He concentrated and the blade melted, dripping onto the grass. He let the hilt drop to the ground and placed his other arm around Lettuce. She cried on him and with her tears, she let go her anguish.


	2. Remember Me

Prolouge: Minto's boyfriend has died and she stands in the park, in the special place they used to sit and spend time together. She wishes she'd had a chance to see him one last time.

Minto sat in a corner and cried. Her heart trembled and her hands were wrapped around her knees. He was gone for good. She'd fallen head over heels in love with him. He'd been the light of her world, her warmth. And when he left, he took the light and left her in an unbearable darkness. Drops of ran began falling. Minto cried harder, tears streaking her cheeks. The coldness seeping into her was unbearable. She longed for his touch, for his light. She cried from fear and longing, from love and for the future. Her shoulders shook and the rain pitter pattered down around her. Minto longed for one last look at him; just one last look would be enough. Just to see his smile one last time, to hear his voice once more. Anything, any sign of him would be wonderful.

Gentle footsteps approached her and stopped in front of her. Someone was always coming by, for a while she'd hoped it was him and had looked up every time someone passed, soon realized that none could be him. She was reminded of the way he walked and smelled. Of how gentle he was when he held her. Minto cried harder, missing him all the more. She'd never dreamed she could miss him this much. She'd never dreamed that he'd take away her light, her reason to live. Tears trailed down her face to the ground and mixed with the rain drops. She felt a slight breeze as someone knelt by her. Could it be him? No, of course not. He'd never be back. Minto sniffled and sobbed all the more because of the false hope all around her. Because of the illusions she thought she saw. Nothing was real. None of what she wished for.

The rain stopped pattering down on Minto and she tried to turn away from whoever it was that wanted to bother her. A warm gentle hand touched her shoulder and she stopped trying to turn away. Whoever it was, it couldn't be him. Her shoulder shook with the force of her crying and she wished that the rain would pitter her again. She weakly lifted a hand to push the warmth away. But his hand caught hers. Minto tried to pull away, but didn't succeed. Her arm went limp as she gave in and continued weeping, her heart already broken into a million pieces. He pulled her chin up with his hand and looked at her. Tears blurred Minto's vision, but she saw him anyway. She saw her sun.

Minto clung to him and cried. Her tears soaked his shirt, but no longer were they tears of sadness, but tears of joy. He simply smiled and held her, grateful to have this time with her. He held her close and comforted her. Minto joyfully looked up into his face and smiled. He leaned down and sweetly kissed her. "Minto-chan, I love you," He whispered. Minto smiled and softly said, "I love you to." He gave her his umbrella and took a step away from her. "Remember me," He whispered. Minto looked on in confusion and shock as he faded. She saw right through him and the rain no longer touched him. Tears welled up in her eyes once more. "I love you," He mouthed before he completely vanished.


	3. Summer Rain

**Summer Rain**

Ichigo stood in front of the window. Rain pounded against the glass, dark and sinister clouds. Ichigo felt like crying and crying and crying, just like the clouds. The clouds were crying in anger and frustration. Ichigo had seen them together. Him and . . . and that **other **girl. They had been smiling and laughing and he'd given her a present and she'd kissed him. And he'd let her! Ichigo's mood darkened. A tear rolled down her cheek and thunder boomed in the distance.

She should've run up to him and slapped him in the face. She should've come up and grabbed his arm in front of the girl. She should've accidentally-on-purpose shoved her . . . or him . . . Or the both of them. But she hadn't. Instead, Ichigo ran. She ran and ran and ran far far away as fast as she could. He'd seen her running. He'd run after her a little way, calling her name. That girl followed him, calling to him. Ichigo lost him in the crowd. Then it had begun to rain.

Now Ichigo stood there, in front of the window, that scene replaying in her mind. Replaying over and over and over again. Ichigo stood at the window and another tear rolled slowly down her cheek. Slowly and silently. Ichigo felt lonely. Lonelier than ever. Why wasn't anyone there when she needed them? 'Because you never let them know you need them. You never give them a chance,' a small voice in the back of her head quietly whispered. Another tear rolled down her cheek. The voice was silent.

Ichigo bent her head into her hands and cried and cried and cried. Lightening crackled and the rain seemed to pound harder. The doorbell rang. Ichigo ignored it. The bell rang again and then came a knocking at the door. Ichigo stood by the window, steadfastly ignoring the idjit at the door. Then there was silence at the door. There was pit-pattering rain on the window. There were tears on Ichigo's hands. And then . . . there was a tap-tapping on the window. Ichigo paused her sobbing for a moment. There it was. There was the tap-tapping again.

Ichigo looked up from her hands. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her clothes were still wet from the rain. Her heart was broken from what she'd seen. But she looked up to the window. She looked up and out and . . . **he **was standing there. All soaked from the rain. He was standing there. Looking in at her. Looking like he cared. Ichigo's tears, which had stopped from the shock of seeing him, started again. He pressed his hand against the glass and she turned away, unable to bear the sight of him.

If she looked on a moment longer, she knew that she would let him in. She knew that he would give her some sorry excuse for what happened and that she would forgive him. But she shouldn't. After what he'd done, she should let him rot in hell. So she turned her back on him. She turned her back and bent her head into her hands and cried and cried again. The tap-tapping came again and his voice called to her from outside, and Ichigo moved out of the view of the window. She felt as though her heart would burst. The tap-tapping continued, then faded. Ichigo sank to the floor and cried herself to sleep.

The clouds grew lighter and lighter until they were almost white. The summer rain pit-pattered on the window. Rays of sunshine fought to break their way through the clouds, but weren't quite strong enough. Inside the house, Ichigo slept. Slept a troubled and dreamless nap. Hours later she awoke. She rubbed her eyes, stumbled into the kitchen and blew her nose. She looked at the clock. Still only the afternoon. Ichigo had been hoping that it would be night. She drank a glass of refrigerated water and watched the rain come down and pit-patter against the glass. Ichigo looked up at the clouds, which were now a mottled silvery-white.

Ichigo looked at the front door and paused. She wanted to go out and dance in the rain. Maybe she could dance out her memories and the rain could wash them away. 'Not likely,' the voice in the back of her head whispered faintly. But then, maybe it could. Ichigo set the glass of water on the table and walked toward the door. She placed her hand on the knob and hesitated. What if he was still out there? Ichigo's hand trembled. No. She must not think like that. She knew that if she did she would never go outside again. She would coop herself up inside the house until someone forced her out. A parent, probably. Maybe the school administration. Ichigo firmly grasped the doorknob, twisted, and pulled it open.

She closed her eyes and a weak but chilly breeze rushed into the house. It ruffled the thin pale lavender fabric of her dress and caressed her beautiful magenta hair which hung down around her shoulders. Her skin tingled and she stepped outside. Small droplets of rain sprinkled down on her. For a moment Ichigo just stood there. She felt the rain on her skin and the breeze in her hair. For a moment Ichigo believed that the rain would wash them all away. The rain would wash away all those bad memories. But then she opened her eyes.

She opened her eyes and saw him sitting there. His back was turned to her and he was sitting on one of the steps. He was soaked from the rain. He didn't turn toward her. He didn't offer any excuses. He was just sitting there. Almost like he was dead. . . . He wasn't dead . . . was he? Ichigo carefully stepped toward him. No. He wasn't dead. He was breathing. Ichigo thought about going back into the house. She definitely did not have to deal with him right now. But then she sat down next to him, without looking at his face. She sat down in the rain and stared pointedly ahead. Neither spoke for a very long time. They just sat there, next to each other, in the drizzling rain feeling miles apart even though they were sitting right next to each other. Finally he spoke.

"You know, my cousin's birthday was today. She came all the way from America to spend it with our side of her family," He said slowly. Ichigo still would not look at him. She refused to see him. And she didn't want to listen to him. . . . But she couldn't help hearing. And he had waited for her for all that time. Out in the rain. Knowing that she felt betrayed by him and probably hated him. But still he'd stayed. He'd been there all along.

Ichigo tuned back in to what he was saying. It seemed as though he'd changed subjects or something. But now he was quiet. Quiet and waiting. Ichigo turned her head to look at him. He was staring at her intently. Pleading with her to understand and forgive. Ichigo felt torn in two. Should she forgive him? She shivered and felt very very cold. In a second he'd pulled his jacket off and thrown it around her shoulders. Yes, it was wet on the outside, but it was warm and comforting on the inside. Ichigo pulled he jacket close around her body and looked at him. Maybe . . . maybe he had just been out with his cousin. Maybe she could believe what he was saying. After all, he hadn't kissed her back . . . and she did look much older than he did.

Ichigo closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky. The drizzling rain lightened to a sprinkle. Rays of sunshine and blue sky broke through the silvery-grey clouds as water continued to sprinkle down from the sky. Ichigo felt the warm rays. She felt the warm rays and the chilly but light sprinkle and the wind breezing through. She opened her eyes and looked down at him. She looked at his golden blonde hair which sparkled in the sunlight and his electric blue eyes, begging her to forgive. She looked at him, all glistening with rain. She looked at him . . . and allowed herself to forgive. She leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her wet hair. Ichigo felt the warmth he radiated and remembered that she had wanted to dance in this summer rain. Ichigo looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back.

The sun shone down through the summer rain and the wispy white clouds. Two pairs of shoes and a black jacket lay in a pile on the steps leading up to Ichigo's house. On the luscious bright green lawn, Ichigo and Ryou danced barefoot in the summer rain. Whirling and twirling and loving and laughing all the while.


End file.
